The survivors of the Third Wold War, decide emotions must be eliminated to secure a peaceful future. What price would you pay for a life without war? Would you be willing to remove the element that makes you most human?

Equilibrium follows one of the fundamental rules of a good screenplay. The movie grabs your attention and pulls you in during the first scene. While the action is over-the-top in it’s comic book approach, the plot is strong enough to keep the audience interested.

The movie sports a well-rounded cast with Christian Bale, Sean Bean, William Fichtner, Angus Macfadyen, Taye Diggs, and Emily Watson. The use of color is clever in Equilibrium. The movie uses the contrast between rich colors and dull hues to highlight the difference between emotionless civilians and passionate rebels.

This movie asks a good question: Is life worth living if you are a little dead inside? This theme is not unlike Lois Lowry’s The Giver or something Philip K. Dick could create. Equilibrium is a solid movie with a good plot. You will not regret sitting down and pushing ‘play’.

Monsters Vs. Aliens
Adventureland

Bolt
Quantum of Solace

He was in Fat Albert, Snakes on a Plane, Barbershop 2, My Boss’s Daughter, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, and Crank Yankers. You probably would not be able to pick him out in a line up unless you were watching Nickelodeon during the mid to late 1990s. He is Kenan Thompson and he deserves a little respect.

Thompson certainly paid his dues as a child actor on a couple Nickelodeon television shows and kid movies. But he has been strong enough to make the transition from child actor to adult roles. Which is no easy feat.

Thompson made his debut with The Mighty Ducks and Heavy Weights in 1994. Thompson has been working for 15 years and is just getting warmed up.

Now Thompson is a regular on Saturday Night Live. In order to survive on SNL, a cast member must be a good actor. Thompson proves week after week that he can play any role thrown at him and his impersonations are just icing on the cake.

Some would think landing a spot on SNL is the apex of an acting career. However, it is actually a pivotal point that could make or break a career.

We all know Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Chris rock, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler to name a few have enjoyed success after SNL.

But not all former cast members are as fortunate. Victoria Jackson, A. Whitney Brown, Beth Cahill, Gary Kroeger, Tom Davis, and Don Novello are a small sample of the many that dropped off the radar after SNL.

Thompson has proved he is ready to play the lead in a major movie with Fat Albert and Good Burger. He has proved he had the talent with his long resume. Thompson deserves to stand with the A-List heavy hitters. I hope he soon gets his chance.

Knowing
I love You, Man
Duplicity
Sin Nombre

How does a man with a streak of bad luck make a living in Las Vegas? He works in a casino as a freelance adviser to bring his bad luck to gamblers on a roll.

William H. Macy plays Bernie Lootz who is unlucky in life and love. He is the poor sap we love to pity. Alec Baldwin plays the underhanded boss who can show is loving or cruel side at the flip of a switch. Maria Bello plays Natalie who could change Bernie’s luck.

The Cooler is a great story. Macy, Baldwin, and Bello give a wonderful performance. The Cooler walked away with a MPAA rating R rather than NC-17 over a little bit hair. As long as you do not mind a couple seconds of a naked Macy, The Cooler is a good flick.

The Last House on the Left
Miss March

Watchmen

Just what we need, another comic book movie.

What is the one thing that can divide two best friends? Sharing their wedding day. Blue hair, an orange tan, and a striptease showdown at the bachelorette party are the only highlights in this movie.

Kate Hudson has gained a lot of popularity since her role in Almost Famous. Most of her previous work does not show too much variety. However Hudson does a little better in Bridal Wars as a cold-hearted tyrant.

Anne Hathaway plays it a little tame in Bridal Wars. Hathaway worked hard to break out of the Disney mold after The Princess Diaries with Havoc and Rachel Getting Married. Unfortunately there is nothing to write home about with her work in Bridal Wars.

The antics are over the top and the story is insulting. Anyone walking into the theater expecting a good chick flick will walk out disappointed.

Walt Kowalski buries his wife and tries to keep to himself. But when Kowalski’s neighbor tries to steal his car, he gets wrapped up in a fight against the neighborhood gang.

Clint Eastwood jumps back into the game of acting and directing with Gran Torino. While Eastwood’s resume is long, it does not vary too much. Although it is comforting to know he will play a hard-nosed character just about better than anyone.

Ahney Her does a pretty good job in her debut in Gran Torino. Her character is not fazed by Kowalski’s racial slurs and is even patient to educate the Korean War vet of her Hmong culture.

Gran Torino runs about two hours. Near the end, some of the bad acting starts to wear thin. But the plot is sound and the ending is pretty good. Gran Torino is a decent pick for the evening if you do not mind Clint Eastwood singing at the ending credits.